NEW DELHI: Leader of opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday launched a sharp attack on the Centre following NTA’s decision to cancel the NEET-UG entrance test, saying the hard work of students had been crushed by the “corrupt BJP regime.”In a post on X, Rahul took a swipe at the Centre and said “Amrit Kaal has turned into Vish Kaal.”“The NEET 2026 exam has been cancelled. The hard work, sacrifices, and dreams of over 22 lakh students have been crushed by this corrupt BJP regime. Some fathers took out loans, some mothers sold their jewellery, and lakhs of children stayed up all night studying,” Rahul said.“And in return, they got paper leaks, governmental negligence, and organised corruption in education,” he added.The Congress leader also termed the incident a “crime against the future of the youth.”“This isn’t just a failure — it’s a crime against the future of the youth. Every time, the paper mafia gets away scot-free, while honest students bear the punishment. Now, lakhs of students will once again endure the same mental stress, financial burden, and uncertainty,” he said.“If one’s destiny is determined not by hard work, but by money and connections, then what’s the point of education? The Prime Minister’s so-called Amrit Kaal has turned into a Vish Kaal for the nation,” he added.This comes after the National Testing Agency cancelled the NEET-UG 2026 examination held on May 3 and announced that the medical entrance test would be conducted again on fresh dates to be notified separately. The move followed allegations of a large-scale “guess paper” leak that pushed the exam into a nationwide controversy.The government has also ordered a comprehensive Central Bureau of Investigation probe into the alleged irregularities surrounding the examination, which was attended by nearly 22.79 lakh students in India and abroad.The development comes days after investigators uncovered evidence suggesting that a question set described by officials as a “guess paper” had circulated among aspirants weeks before the exam and allegedly contained a large number of questions closely matching the actual NEET paper.“On the basis of inputs subsequently examined by NTA in coordination with central agencies, and the investigative findings shared by law enforcement agencies, the National Testing Agency, with the approval of the Government of India, has decided to cancel the NEET-UG 2026 examination conducted on May 3, 2026, and re-conduct the examination on dates that will be notified separately,” the agency posted on X.“The inputs received by NTA, taken together with the findings shared by law enforcement agencies, established that the present examination process could not be allowed to stand. The re-conducted examination dates, along with the reissued admit card schedule, will be communicated through the agency’s official channels in the coming days,” it added.
